Healthy in Paranoid Times: A Collective
by darkestviolet
Summary: A collection of songfics. Various pairings, situations and all around Narutoness. Some OOC, some AU.
1. AngelsLosingSleep

**Healthy in Paranoid Times**

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Naruto, and I do not own the songs in "Healthy in Paranoid Times" those belong to Our Lady Peace, as well as my soul. (If I had one to give that is. XD)

**Author's Note** - Ever since I bought the new Our Lady Peace CD, I've been thinking of ideas for songfics. And for almost every song on the album I thought of a songfic.

Each chapter will contain a different fic. Each titled by the name of the song.

Some songs will contain pairings, others won't.

**Warning** - OOC/AU to fit my wishes. Sasuke/Sakura implied.

**Page One** - Angels/Losing/Sleep

It had been a few months since Sasuke returned to Konoha. Most everyone still looked at him as a traitor. He recently gained the trust of Kakashi and Naruto. But the only person he couldn't seem to get to was Sakura.

Looks like the holy ghost is gone  
Now your afraid of yourself

Sakura, the one that had loved him unconditionally, protected him to her fullest extent had seemingly turned her back on him. In reality, she was afraid to show him any sympathy, any love or compassion that would normally be expected of her. Her actions to Sasuke were limited. She'd treat him as if he never existed, and deep down inside it was killing her. She was afraid of herself, of what she would do once the dam broke. She wanted to hug him till he was blue in the face.

She did nothing but worry, inwardly and outwardly while Sasuke was away. She didn't know if he'd come back home, or was even alive. The thought of Sasuke dead drove her to tears when no one was around.

Over your shoulder you have to watch  
Heaven fall into hell

Sasuke on the other hand thought that Sakura had finally turned her back on him. He wasn't used to her ignoring him, when she would always be right behind him. Always trying to get his attention, while now she didn't care if he looked at her. Sometime he would catch himself looking over his shoulder hoping that she'd be behind him, like good old times, only to find no one there.

It hurt him somewhat on the inside, that she wouldn't acknowledge his presence. Was he actually missing Sakura always pining after him? He could easily have anyone in the village if he wanted - well, he'd have a better chance in hell now. His heaven was turning into hell, without that pink haired girl always behind him. He had missed her secretly, and to have her turn away the moment he laid eyes on her almost broke his heart.

Looks like your boat's about to sink  
So it's time to prepare  
Even the angels are losing sleep  
And the sidewalks are bare

Sasuke sighed as he wandered the streets of Konoha, hands in pockets. Passers-by would look at him with contempt, but he paid no mind to their looks. He was used to them by now. He kept his eyes on the ground as he passed many shops, people would immediately move away, not wanting any contact with him as he passed.

Sakura stood before a shop admiring a display as Sasuke accidentally bumped into her. Their eyes met, Sasuke winced as Sakura just looked at him blankly and went about her pervious business.

It's like the calm before the storm  
You better swim  
Just like it's cold before it's warm  
You'll get back here again

"Sakura…" Sasuke said as the pink haired girl turned from him.

"Hm?" she said as she didn't turn to face him.

"Of all the people I hoped would see me as a human being, I wanted you to be one of them." he said emotionlessly as he walked off, leaving Sakura to stare at her reflection in the glass. Tears welled up in the corners of her jade eyes as Sasuke kept walking on. He turned around to see Sakura hang her head low and walk off in the opposite direction.

And I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait  
I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait  
I'll wait I'll wait till you fall from grace  
It's the calm before the storm  
It's there then it's gone

He had a feeling deep down inside that Sakura would no longer hold feelings of resentment towards him. He would wait for that day to come, even though he had no idea why her opinion of him mattered so much to him.

He continued walking till he reached a secluded place, a place he called his own. A place where no one would find him, or make him feel as if he didn't belong. He sat down under a tree and looked across the great expanse of forest ahead of him, when it suddenly hit him.

He truly cared what that pink haired kunoichi thought of him. In fact he was beginning to care about her. She was always there for him, even though she was mostly powerless to change things, but she still cared about him regardless. She'd give up her life for him, while he wouldn't even give her the time of day. Sasuke sighed and put his head on his knees. There really wasn't much he could do to change things.

Oh it looks like the war was in your head  
Not your heart  
Just when you think it's figured out  
Well it all falls apart

Meanwhile, Sakura walked back to her apartment and opened the door. She threw her bag onto the small couch as she shut the door behind her. She wanted to comfort Sasuke so badly. She saw the looks the residents of Konoha would give him. Surely he had to feel bad on the inside, especially to have one of his team mates ignore him. For some reason she couldn't bring herself to tell Sasuke that she no longer thought poorly of him. But what good would it do? Every time she'd tell him how much she loved him, he'd brush it off as if it was nothing. Her feelings had been crushed so many times by him, she didn't want it to happen again.

She was fighting with her heart and her head. Her head kept telling her to keep up the front, while her heart told her to find Sasuke and tell him that she still cared in hopes of him accepting it. The tears welled up in her eyes again as she smacked herself with a pillow.

It's like the calm before the storm  
You better swim  
Just like it's cold before it's warm  
You'll get back here again

Sasuke stood up after collecting his thoughts and feelings. He decided to find Sakura and confront her once and for all. He wanted answers to the questions he had been dwelling on for some time. He dusted off his pants and walked back in the direction in which he came.

And I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait  
I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait  
I'll wait I'll wait till you fall from grace  
It's the calm before the storm  
It's there then it's gone

He again walked the streets of Konoha, hands in pockets as people continued to look at him. Random murmurs of "traitor" or "scum" reached his ears. Their words didn't matter, he wanted to hear what Sakura had to say, and nothing more. He walked back to the place where they last met, only to find that she was no longer there.

"Hn…" he said as he looked around only to find Naruto walking towards him. "Naruto." Sasuke said calmly as the blond haired ninja lifted his head to meet the dark eyes belonging to Sasuke.

"Yeah?" he said as he stopped in front of Sasuke.

"Do you know where Sakura is staying?" he said, his eyes focusing on something above Naruto's head.

"Yeah, I was going there. Just follow me." he said, smiling broadly.

------

Naruto hummed to himself as he knocked on the door of Sakura's apartment lightly. A few seconds later Sakura opened the door slightly peering out to see who it was. Once she was that it was only Naruto, she opened up the door and let him in. Sasuke stood to the side, hidden from Sakura's view as he hear the door shut softly. He heard muffled words from within as Naruto talked about a meeting with Kakashi in the morning.

A few minutes later Naruto emerged from her apartment and shut the door behind him.

"Well, don't do anything to piss her off. She's gotten a lot stronger since you left." Naruto said as he patted Sasuke's shoulder and walked off.

Sasuke just nodded and stood in front of the door. He raised his fist to lightly knock on the door, but hesitated.

Why was he hesitating? Sasuke never hesitates, so why is he hesitating when it comes to a simple conversation? Sighing, Sasuke shook off those thoughts and knocked on the door.

"Just a minute." the muffled voice of Sakura could be heard as she walked to the door and opened it. She thought it was Naruto coming back for something else, only to find the form of Sasuke standing before her, calm and collected as he had always been.

She blinked a couple times before speaking.

" What are you doing here Sasuke?" she said, trying to disguise the emotion in her voice.

"Can I come in?" he said trying to sound emotionless as well.

Sakura said nothing but stepped to the side letting Sasuke walk past her and into her apartment. She sighed and shut the door and leaned against it.

"Why did you come here?" she said, still trying to sound emotionless.

Sasuke let out a long sigh and turned to face her.

"I want to know why you of all people decided to turn your back on me. You always would be behind me, I guess I took that for granted." he said, his expression softening at the end.

Sakura looked at Sasuke for a while before speaking.

"You turned your back on us. How am I supposed to feel?" she said trying to fight back the tears that she knew would surely come.

"I…" Sasuke began, but decided to keep his mouth shut suddenly remembering what Naruto had told him before he left.

"You don't know how badly it hurt me, knowing that you left to be with him. I didn't know if you were alive or dead, it got to the point where it was eating me on the inside Sasuke." she said, her voice wavering. "And now that you're back, I don't know if I should welcome you back with open arms, or just try to forget you."

"I understand." he said looking at her. He could see that she was breaking down.

"Goddamnit you baka, I missed you." Sakura said as she slid down to the floor, her tears were flowing freely now.

Sasuke looked down at Sakura and knelt down in front of her.

"I missed you too." he began as Sakura looked up at him, her jade eyes wide. "I guess I took everything you've given me for granted. You loved me, you were always by my side even though I didn't really want you there, but deep down I wanted you there. And now that you're no longer there, it feels like a part of me is missing."

Sakura blinked a few tears away, only to have new ones take their place as she hugged Sasuke, sending him to the floor. 

Looks like the war was in your head  
Looks like the war was in your head  
War was in your head

Sakura laid there as she hugged Sasuke. Sasuke blinked in confusion as he lightly hugged the sobbing mass on top of him.

"Get up Sakura." he said softly as she obeyed. She sat in front of him cross-legged as she wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun." she said between sniffles.

"Its alright." he said as he tilted her head up slightly with his hand. "I guess what I am trying to say is this. I care about you. I want you to see me was a human being, and not some monster like the others have been seeing me as."

Sakura turned a light shade of pink at his words.  
"You care about me?" she said as he eyes grew wide again.

"Yes." he said, feeling slightly ashamed for what was coming out of his mouth.

Sakura had heard enough. She hugged him, once again sending him to the floor. This time Sasuke hugged her back. He knew that the feelings he had been getting from her were only a front. And now with that front torn down, the Sakura he knew was revealed. And he liked that one much better.

I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait  
I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait  
I'll wait I'll wait till you fall from grace  
It's the calm before the storm  
It's there then it's gone

----------

Fin.


	2. Will the Future Blame Us?

**Disclaimer** - I own nothing of Naruto. It has to be obvious by now.

**Author's Note** - Another songfic. This is definitely AU/OOC. I just take the things I see in my mind and put them to paper. I don't pay attention to how IC they are. 'Cause sometimes its nice to see something out of the ordinary at times.

**Page Two** - Will the Future Blame Us?

Are you disappointed?  
And have we destroyed it I  
But I've been stumbling down this long and winding road

Sakura sat atop a high limb looking down at her blurred reflection in the fast moving river. Several orange and brown leaves obscured her reflection. One of the first indicators that autumn was fast approaching. It had been several months since Sasuke left in his search for power. Since then Itachi appeared onto the scene and took an odd interest in the pink haired kunoichi.

Before Sasuke left, she had pulled him aside and confessed that she had loved him for a very long time. Even though it was quite obvious.

**- Flashback -**

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura said quietly as Sasuke was walking towards his home.

"Yes, Sakura?" Sasuke replied, not taking the time or the effort to turn around and face her.

Sakura took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before she spoke.

"I know you and pretty much everyone in Konoha knows this, but I love you. I have always loved you, no matter how many times you push me away. It just won't go away, even though everyone tells me to find someone that will appreciate me. I just want to know how you feel…maybe…just maybe I can stop these feelings inside from tearing me apart." by the time she had finished tears had welled up in her eyes.

Sasuke stood still for a few seconds before he let out a sigh and turned around.

"Sakura…" Sasuke began as the girl's eyes went wide with anticipation. "I don't know how I feel. I have a lot on my mind right now. Maybe once I get a few things out of the way, I will take what you have said into consideration." he said solemnly as Sakura just stood there, her expression border lining happiness and confusion.

"I understand, Sasuke-kun…please…take your time." the pink haired girl said quietly as she turned quickly on her heel and ran off. "Thank you." she said aloud, but Sasuke could barely make out what she said.

**-End Flashback-**

_And these times are changing  
And it's complicated I  
Well I don't wanna know_

Sakura sighed and jumped down from her branch and walked off in the direction of her home. She hadn't noticed the dark figure watching her from a couple hundred meters away.

"Sasuke…Itachi…why them?" she said softly to herself as she walked swiftly through the forest, her feet crunching through the leaves as she went. A soft orange glow filled the forest as the sun was setting. It gave off a serene feeling as she stopped to take in her surroundings.

"This was the exact place where I met…him." she said softly as she placed her hand on the trunk of a tree. Her fingers traced the small cut in the tree where she had thrown her kunai at Itachi that fateful evening.

**-Flashback-**

It was only a week since Sasuke had left. Sakura didn't want to be around anyone since all she'd do was talk about Sasuke and it had annoyed her friends, as well as her teammate, Naruto. She leaned against a trunk of a tree and looked up at the half-blocked sky. The sun had just set and the stars were just starting to come out.

A small rustling in the bushes ahead of her snapped her back to reality as she quickly threw a kunai in the direction of the noise. The only noise was the sharp "thwack" of the kunai hitting the trunk of the tree. Shortly after a soft chuckling could be heard as Sakura quickly got into a fighting stance, her hand hovering over her kunai pouch.

"No need for that. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so an hour ago." came the voice of a man in the shadows.

"Show yourself." Sakura said flatly, her hand not moving from her pouch.

The man listened and slowly walked out of the shadows and into the fading light of day. Sakura's eyes went wide for a second since the man before her resembled her Sasuke-kun. He looked like Sasuke, except for the fact that he was slightly taller, his hair longer and his eyes, being a dark red. She couldn't make out the sharingan in the fading light, it only appeared to be a dark red.

"Y-you're…" Sakura had put two and two together. There could only be one other person to look like Sasuke, and that was his older brother, Itachi. "Stay away from me." she said, trying to regain her composure.

"As I said before, if I wanted to kill you, I would. Stand down." Itachi said almost emotionlessly.

Sakura obeyed as she looked him straight in the face. She didn't want to stand down, but there was something about him that just yelled "listen".

Itachi watched Sakura relax somewhat and took the opportunity to suddenly appear in front of her, sending her back against the tree behind her. Sakura's eyes widened in shock as Itachi looked down at her, emotionless eyes studying her frightened face.

They remained that way for some time. Neither moving, Sakura didn't even dare flinch as Itachi held his gaze. Suddenly he backed up two steps, still not breaking his gaze. Sakura stood frozen still, her body slightly trembling.

"I can see why you'd be a weakness for Sasuke." he said solemnly.

Sakura blinked and shook her head from left to right before speaking. "W-what?"

Itachi just shook his head and disappeared. Sakura remained there for a minute as the sound of crickets softly reached her ears.

"…weakness?"

**-End Flashback-**

_And I ...  
Don't ask why anymore  
And I ...  
Don't ask why anymore, anymore_

Several times since that meeting she had seen Itachi. It had always been in the same vicinity. He would always watch her from away, studying her for whatever reason. As time progressed, Sakura got accustomed to his presence and even had a few short-lived conversations with the mysterious Uchiha.

She'd smack herself at the end of every meeting. She loved Sasuke, but these nagging feelings would always pull at her heart every time she'd walk home after meeting with Itachi. There was something about him that she liked, she couldn't place her finger on it. She hated herself for even considering Itachi, he had killed his family and ruined Sasuke's life. But with Sasuke gone, it was getting harder and harder to keep herself together. The line threads of hope that were created with their last conversation were going thinner and thinner.

And is it getting better?  
Can we live forever I  
And I'm not sure what the hell we're fighting for  
And does the money make us?  
And will the future blame us I  
Oh I don't wanna know

Sakura jumped at the sound of leaves crunching behind her. She should be used to it by now, since the source of the sound belonged to Itachi.

"Kunoichi." he said softly, but with little emotion.

"Yes…" she said turning around to face him.

As she turned around to face him, Itachi met her halfway and put a hand on her shoulder. The sudden contact made Sakura jump away slightly as Itachi grabbed a hold of her other shoulder, turning her to face him.

"I don't know what it is…but you are surely a weakness." he said as his piercing dark eyes looked down into Sakura's.

"Why do you always call me a 'weakness'?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Itachi didn't reply to her question, but continued to look down at her. His expression softened somewhat, making him look a lot younger.

And I ...  
Don't ask why anymore  
And I ...  
Don't ask why anymore, anymore

Sakura blinked a few times as she looked at Itachi. She had never seen him look calm. At least that's what she considered it to be. 

When you're tired and alone  
And you feel like letting go  
Come home

For the first time in God knows how many years Itachi had let his guard down. Those jade eyes looking up at him calmed him, revealed his weaknesses, made him feel…human. He looked into those eyes and smiled. It wasn't what someone would call a smile, just a slight up turn of the lips, barely being considered a smile.

Sakura noticed this and suddenly took a deep breath

(What is wrong with you. You love Sasuke. Sasuke dammit!) the inner Sakura roared, fists flailing in the air.

When you can't take anymore  
When you're beat up and ignored  
Come home

Itachi bent down and softly kissed Sakura's forehead. She was truly a weakness. Sakura stepped back and stumbled backwards on an root from the tree behind her. Itachi caught her before she hit the ground. 

The sun's inside a hole  
The faster you don't know  
A long, long way from home  
There are things you need to know  
The answers leave you cold

"Why…?" Sakura said, her voice barely above a whisper as she avoided looking into his eyes.

"I wish I knew." Itachi replied as he set her back on her feet again. "You are a weakness."

You're a long, long way from home  
And the summers coming back  
And it brings a second chance

"All I know is that you make life a little more bearable." he said in a low tone making Sakura take a few steps towards him to hear him better.

If you're not part of this  
Then I don't wanna know ...

Sakura looked up at the older Uchiha and put her hand on the side of his face gently. There was a connection between them, one that she herself couldn't fully understand. She was still torn between the two. She had always liked Sasuke, but only because he was always there. Now with his brother being in his place, it just made things too difficult for her to handle. She had to make a decision at some point, and she knew it.

And I ...  
Don't ask why anymore  
And I ...  
Don't ask why anymore, anymore

They stood there in silence for quite some time, the faint silvery glow of the moon washing over the forest, casting an eerie, yet serene glow. Itachi bent down again and kissed the girl's forehead, this time Sakura smiled as he moved away from her.

She didn't know what she was doing anymore. She was caught up in the moment. Though just as soon as she got used to being in such close quarters with Itachi, he had disappeared into the night.

Sakura sighed as she looked around for him, though it being quite useless. She stood there for a minute, gathering her thoughts before she headed off in the direction of her home.

Itachi watched her as she left. He hated how she made him weak. The faint rustling of leaves disturbed his thoughts as he turned around to face his younger brother, Sasuke.

"It would be so easy to just kill you." Sasuke said through gritted teeth. He had seen the entire thing that had happened between Sakura and Itachi.

"Right." Itachi said with the hint of amusement in his voice. "Try again in a few years." with that he disappeared, leaving Sasuke alone.

He had actually been jealous watching his older brother seemingly take Sakura. Little did he know that Sakura had not made her choice. He gritted his teeth and shouted out loud.

"I will kill you someday you bastard!" with that, he too disappeared. It wouldn't be till at least two to three years later that Sasuke would return to Konoha.

_When you're tired and alone  
And you feel like letting go  
Come home  
Oh when you can't take anymore  
When you're beat up and ignored  
Come home  
I'm coming home_

Fin

**After Notes** -

Uber OOC, and I don't care. Fear my mind and what it holds.


	3. Picture

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Naruto. This should be obvious. I'd be rich and uber happy if I was the creator.

**Author's Note** - A definite AU. Naruto had left for a two year training period, leaving everyone he knew behind without saying goodbye. Here he muses on how his teammates no longer know him. As usual, I just write the first scenario that comes to mind.

**Page Three** - Picture

Naruto sighed heavily and threw his pack onto the floor of his dusty apartment. He had not been in it for about two years. A thick layer of dust covered almost everything. With a sneeze, he walked to a window, opening it in hopes of getting rid of the dusty smell. After struggling with the window he threw himself onto the couch, sending up a cloud of dust on impact.

"Has it been that long?" he said to himself as he looked around. It had been two years, possibly a little longer than that since he had been in Konoha. He had left to train on his own in hopes of fine-tuning his skills and mastering new ones. His determination paid off, since he came home knowing much more than he had known two years before. During the course of his training he became more mature and goal orientated.

Tsunade had been notified of Naruto's return and had notified Kakashi and his two students, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. Though that had been about 12 hours ago. He sat by his phone, watching it intently in hopes of one of them calling him.

Waiting by the telephone  
Breathing through a giant rubber hose

He propped his chin on his hand and stared at the phone, his blue eyes unblinking. He missed his teammates terribly, but he had to go and better himself. Sighing, Naruto shifted his position and laid back on his couch, not before noticing a small picture of Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura and himself when they were only Genin.

God only knows  
Photographs of you and me  
Pictures of the friends you used to know  
Where did they go?

Where did they go? He wondered to himself as he stared at the picture. Sure, he left, but they hadn't even bothered to see him. Perhaps they were waiting for him to find them, or they just didn't care about him anymore.

"I've missed you guys…" he said as he touched the picture gently.

_Don't take my picture down  
Don't erase everything that we had_

Meanwhile, Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke stood in front of the Ichraku Ramen looking for Naruto.

"Tsunade-sama said that Naruto came back not too long ago." Sakura said as she looked around for the blond haired ninja.

Kakashi and Sasuke nodded in unison as they watched Sakura look around.

"If he's not here…where could he be?" Sakura said dispiritedly.

Sasuke shrugged as Kakashi leaned against a wall, trying to think of where Naruto could be.

_Don't think I let you down  
And I might be gone, we'll meet again  
Can't find you, so I'll call your name_

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted at the top of her lungs, causing Kakashi and Sasuke to jump slightly. "Where in the hell are you!" she shouted again, this time walking off in search of him.

"Where is she going?" Sasuke asked.

"Looking for Naruto of course. We should look around for him, we'll have a greater chance of finding him if we split up." Kakashi said as he moved away from the wall. "Go tell Sakura to meet back here in an hour." with that Kakashi disappeared, leaving Sasuke at the ramen shop.

He shrugged and ran off to go tell Sakura what Kakashi had told him.

_Riding on this satellite  
Sun faded and sweaty, but that's alright  
Cause I'm still alive_

Sakura collapsed on a bench sweating profusely. She had been running around non-stop for the last 30 minutes searching for the damn boy, but he was no where to be found.

"Where can he be…" she said softly between breaths.

------

Naruto had fallen asleep on the couch, holding his picture of Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura. As he slept, memories played on in his head, similar to having your life flash before your eyes. He dreamt of meeting his teammates, completing missions, saving his teammates, and getting saved. He rolled onto his side, sending the picture of his team to the ground.

Always stranded in this memory  
Your mouth is wide open  
You can't scream  
Oh you can't scream

An hour had passed as Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi met up at the ramen shop once again.

"Find him?" Sakura asked.

"If I had found him, don't you think he would be standing next to me right now?" Sasuke said, causing Sakura's shoulders to slump slightly.

And don't take my picture down  
And don't erase everything that we had  
Don't think I let you down  
And I might be gone, we'll meet again  
Can't find you, so I'll call your name

Naruto yawned loudly as he sat up on his couch. He looked around in surprise, forgetting where he was.

"Baka…" he said softly to himself as he bent down to pick up his picture. He stared at it for a few minutes and set it back on the table.

"If they're not going to come to me, then I will go to them!" he said loudly as he jumped up. He quickly ran out of his small apartment and stopped abruptly.

"Owww…maybe I should get something to eat first." he said as he held his stomach, which was growling loudly.

_And don't take my picture down  
And don't erase everything that we had  
Don't think I let you down  
And I might be gone, we'll meet again  
Can't find you, so I'll call your name_

Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura were still standing by the ramen shop trying to figure out where Naruto could be.

"Did you try the bath house, Sakura?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura shook her head. "Do you want me to go check there now?"

"It'd be a good idea." Sasuke said.

Sakura nodded and turned around. She stood still for a moment, squinting her eyes to get a better look at a tall figure in an orange jacket coming their way.

"N-Naruto?" Sakura said as she stopped squinting.

"Hm?" Sasuke said as he turned around to look.

Sakura turned around to face Sasuke and Kakashi. Kakashi nodded in confirmation as a gigantic smile crept along Sakura's face.

"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled as she ran to meet her teammate.

Naruto looked up to find Sakura running at full force towards him. He didn't have enough time to brace himself for the impact as Sakura glomped him to the ground.

"S-Sakura-chan, good to see you." Naruto said as he lay on the ground.

Sakura quickly got off Naruto and dusted herself off.

"Why didn't you tell us you were back?" she asked as Kakashi and Sasuke met up with her.

"I thought you guys would have already known since I asked Tsunade-sama to inform you guys." he said as he got up.

"We looked all over for you." Sakura said as she smacked Naruto upside the head.

"I-I was at home the entire time." Naruto said as he rubbed the side of his head that Sakura smacked.

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura all looked at Naruto with blank expressions.

Of course!

All three thought in unison as they stared at Naruto.

"Heheheh…well, less talking more eating, I'm starving." Naruto said happily as he walked over to the ramen shop and sat on one of the stools. He pounded his fist on the counter to get the attention of the cook as he made his order. Cheers could be heard within the small stand as the employees noticed that their number one customer had returned.

"Lets go eat." Kakashi said, grinning from behind his mask.

Sakura and Sasuke nodded as they followed their sensei.

------

**After Notes** -

Didn't come out the way I had really envisioned it. But due to lack of time and consciousness, I took the quicker route instead.

Please R&R, I'd really appreciate it.


End file.
